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FAA Rule Grounds Farm Use Of Model Aircraft

July 17, 2014

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released a rule clarification stating model aircraft may only be used by hobbyists. Commercial use of the machines, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones, is currently prohibited.

This leaves many businessmen, including farmers, waiting on the FAA to institute rules and regulations for the safe integration of UAVs into commercial use. Congress has given the FAA a deadline of September 2015 to develop those guidelines.

“There seems to be a lot of promise in using UAVs in agriculture,” said Mitt Walker, Alabama Farmers Federation’s director of National Legislative Programs. “As the FAA develops rules, we will submit comments and make sure agricultural interests are represented in the process.”

The Alabama Farmers Federation does not have policy concerning UAVs, but American Farm Bureau Federation policy supports the use of UAVs for commercial purposes.